THE NUCLEAR Medicine department at Wrexham Maelor Hospital has been given a clean bill of health by a team of inspectors.

It comes after representatives from Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) paid a visit to the hospital on Croesnewydd Road to check whether patients were being protected from excessive or incorrect exposure to medical radiation.

The department is located within the X-ray ward and provides a number of services including radiation therapy to treat conditions such as thyroid diseases and cancer.

The spot check, the findings of which have now been published, showed patients receive a safe and effective service and that staff comply well with radiation regulations.

Inspectors also identified some areas for improvement following their visit in January, including giving patients better access to information, but did not discover any areas of non-compliance

In their report officials from HIW said: “We found staff treated patients with dignity, respect and kindness.

“Overall we found patients were provided with enough information about their procedure.

“However, we recommended that written information is made more accessible for patients so that key messages stand out.

“It was positive to find that the radiology department encouraged patient feedback.

“However, we recommended the health board clarify the ways in which patients can provide feedback or raise concerns.”

Inspectors said arrangements were in place to provide patients visiting the nuclear medicine department with safe and effective care.

They also held out praise for the leadership provided by managers, adding that staff showed they had the correct knowledge and skills.

Other suggested improvements for the department include the need to specify all referral guidelines for procedures and ensure consistency in its approach to carers.

The hospital has now been asked to draw up a plan to address the small number of issues raised.